High Gear Bulletin

Opening

President Jerry opened our meeting just after 12:15pm, asking Anne Bouliane to lead us in the pledge. In lieu of a flag, the ever-resourceful William Li projected a digital flag.

Invocation

Frances Boscacci gave the invocation. She started by reminding us that there are people being born today whom we will never meet, but whose parents want the same as all other parents want for their families—clean water, education, and an opportunity to build a better life. Frances encouraged us to remember that we are all connected by humanity, and any distance between us is measured not in miles but in human worth. She concluded by asking that we celebrate and be grateful for what we have and strive to achieve more—not so we can keep more, but so we may share more.

International Service Committee Updates

As she segued into an international service committee update, Frances pointed out that our club has put the words from her invocation into action with our many projects. In her update on international projects, she shared the following exciting news.

The joint grant application by The Rotary Club of Burlingame/Hillsborough and District 3020 (in India) was approved. The Rotary Foundation Global Grant Committee awarded us $215,000 to enhance educational outcomes for approximately 1,000 students (primarily orphans) in India by providing teacher training and establishing digital classrooms, STEM labs, and library facilities at the HEAL School.

In addition to our work in India, we are expanding to Mexico. Alden Cunningham connected our Club with District 4170, an area he came to know while serving in the military. We are partnering with them on a new project. More on that coming soon.

Come to the Next International Service Committee Meeting

The international service committee meets monthly at Green Hills Country Club (500 Ludeman, Millbrae, CA 94030). The next meeting will be on Friday, August 21 at 4pm.

Hand-On Volunteer Opportunities

September 19—9:30-12:30

Sequoia High School Diaper Drive, in partnership with the Jackie Speier Foundation

1201 Brewster Avenue

Redwood City, CA 94062

More information

September 19—9:00-12:00

Coastal Clean Up with District 5150 Clubs

Multiple locations

Fellowship Moment

President Jerry reminded everyone what the Fellowship Moment was, with examples ranging from getting a new puppy or new grandchild to celebrating an anniversary or getting a new car. Members shared fellowship moments, including:

Christine, with happy dollars, shared that Jeff Krolik’s back procedure at UCSF was successful.
Christine also shared that when she was at Target looking for diapers (for her grandson), she was directed to the Depends aisle. YIKES!
Bobba shared that his granddaughter, Anjali, was returning to school to pursue her MBA at Duke.
Bret shared that his daughter just started her senior year at BHS.
Frances announced that her son is expecting a baby on September 4.
Jerry shared that his nephew is starting his first year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Guest Caterer and Rotary Scholar

Jennifer Pence introduced Luis Gonzales, co-owner of Triki Tacos and Rotary Incentive Scholar. Luis told us that the program, which he was selected for when he was in 8^th grade at BIS, made college a real possibility for him. After graduating from BHS, he earned a business degree and worked as a business consultant. With this experience, he joined forces with his brother-in-law and father to start Triki Tacos, a food truck and catering business. They have been very successful, defying the odds and thriving for more than four years. The next step for the business is to expand the fleet and open a center to help others launch food truck businesses. To find Tricki Tacos locations or for excellent catering, visit their website.

Featured Speaker

William Li introduced our speaker, David Issel, a third-generation San Franciscan, a member of San Mateo Rotary, and an expert poker player who played in the World Series of Poker. David ran hospitality at several organizations and is currently the stage manager at Hillbarn Theater (shoutout for their upcoming performance of Pickleball, August 20 to September 13).

David has played in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) five times and shared his insights and experiences, including:

The WSOP was started in 1970 at Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas, but is now held on The Strip at the Paris Hotel’s and Horseshoe’s convention centers.
It is a very egalitarian tournament. All players—pros, amateurs, and newbies—start with the same amount of chips. When the chips are gone, the player is out—no way to buy additional chips.
The biggest change for the WSOP came in 2003, when ESPN first televised the main event, and Chris Moneymaker became the first amateur to win (a $2.5 million pot).
Today, the WSOP has 100 games over 51 days, with more than 250,000 players.
The main event runs for 15 days, 12 hours a day (20-minute breaks every two hours, 70-minute break after 7 hours), with a $10,000 buy-in and payouts ranging from $65,000 to $10 million.
The main event comprises approximately 9,200 under-50 players, 5,000 senior players (50-59), and 3,500 super seniors (60+).
While no woman has won the main event, a woman reached the final round for the first time last year.
Like sporting events, WSOP prep includes hydration, nutrition, and strategy.
To keep players on their toes, they are moved to new tables throughout the tournament.
In the early stages of the tournament, there can be up to 4,000 players in a room. Space is very tight, and players are routinely heckled by others at the table to psyche them out.

Some players wear distracting costumes.